Uchiha Itachi: Cheap
by Reinao Tanaka
Summary: ItaHana AU Fic. If you're looking for love at first sight, don't read this. Sometimes perceptions must be overcome before love has a chance to bloom.
1. Cheap

Hurray for ice storms! The university is on a two-hour delay, so I had time to finish the first part of this. I have decided that it will be a two-shot, since I seem incapable of writing one-shots. Ill have to work on it. Anyway, this is an AU fic set in a more modern-day kind of Konoha. I think that is all you'll need to know for this, but feel free to ask questions if you need to.

Disclaimer: -sigh- Itachi...I mean, **Naruto** is not mine.

* * *

Uchiha Itachi was not quite certain how he had allowed himself to be talked into this. His dark eyes narrowed in on the spiky blonde head of the young man in front of him. Uzumaki Naruto was his younger brother's best friend and, in Itachi's opinion, the number-one idiot in Konoha. Said idiot was currently acting his (mental) age as he bounced from foot to foot in excitement, peeking out through the slightly parted curtains. He turned back to the other men who were gathered backstage, blue eyes alight.

"There are a lot of women out there, _teme_!" he exclaimed, elbowing Sasuke.

The younger Uchiha pushed his friend away.

"_Che_. What did you expect, _dobe_? You're selling the great Uchiha Itachi," he responded, no hint of bitterness in his tone.

Itachi resisted the urge to scowl at his sibling. He was doing rather well too, until Sasuke shot him a smug grin.

"You're being sold as well, _otouto_," he reminded.

Sasuke shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress pants, not losing his smirk.

"But I'm just one of the appetizers. You're the main course, _aniki_," he said.

Itachi didn't respond, instead looking away from his brother's gaze. He maintained his calm expression until Naruto decided to bestow him with the same elbowing he'd given Sasuke.

"_Nee_, Itachi, how do you do it? How do you get the ladies to fall all over you? You're such a cold, arrogant-" he started to say.

Itachi's fingers twitched with the urge to wrap themselves around Uzumaki's neck and squeeze. He stepped away from the blond, instead cutting him off.

"I'm rich, that is all that is necessary to secure their attention. And I am my father's legitimate heir, so I would ask that you refrain from insinuating otherwise," he said coolly.

Naruto took the hint, returning to Sasuke's side.

"What **do** women see in him?" he whispered loudly.

"Like _aniki_ said, he's rich and handsome. They go after him looking to take advantage of his status," Sasuke caught the envy in his friend's eyes and shook his head. He continued softly so that his older brother wouldn't hear him, "It isn't as much fun as it sounds,_dobe_. He is constantly surrounded by people who want to use him and there's no one outside of our family he can trust."

The blond was sobered by that for only a moment. He caught Itachi's gaze and gave him a bright smile.

"You have me as your friend now too. Believe it!" he said.

The elder Uchiha's eyes turned questioningly to his brother, who could only shrug helplessly. Fortunately, Hatake Kakashi chose that moment to join them backstage.

"You're late!" Naruto accused.

The lower portion of the man's face was hidden beneath a cloth mask, one of Kakashi's many quirks, but his eyes crinkled in his version of a smile.

"Sorry, Naruto, I had to rescue a cat from a tree. Anyway, it looks like everything is ready, so I'll go get this started," he said, easing through the cluster of young men.

The silver-haired man stepped through the curtains and into the bright lights of the stage. Disoriented, he blinked for a moment in an attempt to regain his vision.

"Five hundred!" a woman yelled.

Kakashi blinked, stunned for a moment.

"I'm, um, not one of the participants-" he began.

Another voice screamed, "One thousand!"

Looking distinctly uncomfortable, Kakashi hurried on, "I'd like to thank all of you for being here tonight and take this opportunity to remind you that all your contributions-"

"I'd like **you** to be my contribution!"

"-will be going to the charities sponsored by One World, Inc. Without further delay, I'd like to introduce our first bachelor-" Kakashi continued.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" two voices yelled in unison.

A pair of green-clothed men leaped onto the stage, landing in dramatic poses. The elder of the two pointed a finger at Kakashi.

"My eminent rival, why was my dear student, Rock Lee, not asked to participate in this youthful fundraiser?" he demanded.

Kakashi blinked at the intruder, then asked, "Who are you?"

The green-clothed man looked utterly rejected for a brief moment before straightening his pose and flashing the audience a thumbs-up and a blinding grin.

"He is so awesome! No other man would be worthy to be the rival of the great Maito Gai," he exclaimed.

Kakashi sighed before saying, "Look, we'll include your student if you'll get off the stage."

"Yosh! Dazzle them with the brilliance of your youth, Lee!" Gai declared.

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee responded enthusiastically.

Itachi, who had been watching through the curtains, turned away from the scene. His thoughts returned to the events that had landed him in this humiliating fundraiser.

It was all Naruto-_baka_'s fault.

One day, the blond had decided to visit the lower-class areas of Konoha City and had instantly decided it was his mission to help those less fortunate. And what better way than to enslave the eligible bachelors of Konoha and sell them off to the highest bidder? When Itachi and Sasuke's father had heard of the idea, he had seen the opportunity for great publicity for the Uchiha Corporation and volunteered the services of both his sons. Not to be outdone, the head of the Hyuuga Federation had entered his nephew, Hyuuga Neji, since his only children were girls. The event had snowballed from there until many of the greatest names in Konoha City were represented by the men gathered backstage.

Itachi returned his attention to the stage for a moment as one woman at last bid on Lee just to get him offstage. Naruto was next to go out and, since he was to be the last, Itachi judged that he had plenty of time before it was his turn to be thrown before the wolves.

The Uchiha scanned the men around him. Most were dressed to impress in suits and ties. Even his rebellious younger brother had condescended to at least wear a dress shirt and pants—no tie for him though. In contrast, Itachi had dressed in a faded black shirt and worn jeans. His long, black hair was pulled into a casual ponytail at the nape of his neck, all in an attempt to look shabby compared to the other men. From his perspective, Itachi thought he had succeeded, but only time would tell if the women agreed.

An hour later, Itachi was the only one left backstage. Naruto had been claimed by a blushing Hyuuga Hinata. His brother had been purchased by Haruno Sakura. While the women who had already won their men had left, there was still a huge crowd left in the theater. They were now holding their breaths as Kakashi launched into a long introduction.

"You look nervous, Uchiha," a cool voice came from behind him.

He turned to see Hyuuga Neji standing there. The brunette woman beside him looked distinctly displeased with her escort, but she remained quiet. Itachi raised an eyebrow, knowing he looked nothing of the sort. He had learned long ago to never outwardly show his emotions. Even if he was nervous, which he in fact was, he would never betray the feeling. The Hyuuga smirked.

"You are tapping your finger, which you only do when you are bored or worried about something," he stated.

Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"I wasn't aware that you had spent enough time with me to recognize my habits," he said tonelessly.

Neji stepped forward until he stood next to him just behind the curtain.

"I am a Hyuuga. I was trained to pick up on any signs of discomfort from those who would be our rivals," he explained.

"Neji," the woman spoke up, "Uchiha-san is not-"

The tall Hyuuga silenced her with a glance and Itachi was instantly on the alert, dark eyes turning from the woman to the man next to him. His bearing was tense as Neji gave him a slight smile.

"Nothing personal," he said.

Before the older man could react, he felt a hand on his shoulder shoving him through the curtain. At the same time, there was a tug on his hair, then the black strands were falling freely into his face. The women went wild.

Itachi straightened, lifting one hand to brush back his hair. Inwardly, his mind was running through untraceable ways to kill the Hyuuga, but outwardly his face was expressionless. Kakashi dared offer him a wink.

"Nice entrance, Itachi-san," he said softly, covering the mike. He turned back to the crowd and the bidding began in earnest.

Itachi stood there quietly, listening as the price soared higher and higher. He could feel the women undressing him with their eyes and, had he been anyone else, he would have been blushing badly. As it was, only his dark eyes reflected his growing humiliation. His gaze turned as one woman climbed onto the stage. He stiffened, ready to either run or fight if she came after him, but instead she walked over to Kakashi without glancing his way even once. She whispered something in the man's ear. He shook his head, starting to motion her away. She laid a hand on his shoulder, saying something else. Kakashi crinkled his eyes in a forced smile and turned back to the crowd.

"Sorry, ladies. Uchiha Itachi goes to Inuzuka Hana," he announced.

The woman had already turned away as the theater filled with disappointed cries. She marched past Itachi without meeting his eyes.

"Don't just stand there, come on!" she barked.

Caught off guard, the Uchiha followed without protest. She ducked behind the curtain, holding it open for him, then stopped backstage, folding her arms across her chest. Itachi took a moment to study her. His dark eyes moved up her lithe form, slowly enough that she should be shifting in discomfort by the time he was done.

"My face is up here," she snapped.

Startled, his gaze lifted to her face, lingering on the red fang tattoos which marked her cheeks. When he at last met her eyes, they were sparkling with impatience.

"Look, I really did**not** have the money to spend on you. I wouldn't have come at all if my little brother hadn't been involved," she said.

He recalled Kakashi calling her an Inuzuka, which would make her brother Kiba.

"Then why did you buy me?" he asked.

She looked frustrated as she turned away from him.

"I've got a thing for strays, all right? You looked so alone and helpless with those women salivating over you," she said.

He blinked, feeling quite affronted. She had just compared him, Uchiha Itachi, to a stray mutt? His eyes narrowed and he started to speak, only for her to interrupt.

"It's done now, anyway. So you can go your way and I'll go mine," she said.

Again, Itachi was left blinking at her.

"You're going to waste your money?" he asked.

She turned her head to smile at him.

"It wasn't a waste, Uchiha. I got to save you from a pack of slavering wolves," she said, glancing at her watch, "I need to go, actually. Goodbye, Itachi."

He stared after her as she began to walk off, eyes narrowing. Did she think that, because she had rescued him, he would owe her a favor? Was she planning on holding this over his head at some point in the future to gain what she wanted? He was certainly not going to allow that. In a few long strides, he caught up with her and spun her to face him.

"You will go on a date with me," he stated.

Her brow furrowed, "Excuse me?"

"You purchased me for a date and I will fulfill my obligation to you," he explained.

"Oh…well, I meant what I said earlier. I do need to be going. Besides, I don't want to go on a date with you, Uchiha. You aren't my type," she said.

She was lying, he knew it. _Every_ woman wanted to go on a date with him. He frowned at the woman.

"You will go on a date with me. Tomorrow," he repeated.

She folded her arms in a gesture of annoyance.

"I have to work tomorrow," she responded stubbornly.

"I will pick you up. Where do you work?" he asked.

Hana turned away from him and he was forced to grab her hand to keep her from leaving. She ripped it from his grasp, nearly snarling at him.

"Look, there is no obligation. Just forget this ever happened, all right? I don't want to date you, Uchiha. I will be perfectly happy if we don't meet again," she said.

This time, he was too dumbfounded to stop her from storming out of the building. After the door slammed shut behind her lithe figure, he gathered his wits.

Playing hard to get was typical female behavior, though he had never seen it taken to this extreme. No matter. If he was persistent, she would give in to what he knew she wanted and he could take her on the date. Once that was finished, he could forget that Inuzuka Hana even existed.

.oOo.oOo.

Later that evening, Hana opened the door to her home and was immediately besieged by four dogs all clamoring for her attention. She slipped off her coat with a heavy sigh, rubbing each of the dogs on the head, as she followed her nose into the kitchen, where a bubbling pan awaited her. She spooned out a bowl of soup and went to sit at the table. No sooner had she lifted the spoon to her lips than Kiba's face peeked around the corner.

"Hana and Itachi sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" he announced.

She glowered at the young man, resisting the urge to throw her bowl of soup at him.

"Act your age, Kiba," she growled.

He sighed, joining her at the table and rubbing a hand through his unruly brown hair. He gave her a sly smile.

"No, really, how was your date with the Ice King of Konoha?" he asked.

"There was no date. I told him to buzz off," she said tiredly.

Kiba frowned, fishing out a poster and holding it up.

"You mean to tell me that you don't want a piece of that?" he asked, pointing at the picture which took up half the page.

Hana immediately recognized the ad for the fundraiser. She took it from Kiba, scrutinizing the picture. It had been taken on the beach, so Itachi was wearing only swimming trunks. His long hair was falling loose around his serious face. With a picture like this in their minds, no wonder all those women had been drooling over him.

"No, Kiba, I don't 'want a piece of that.' The poor man already has enough women hanging over him," she said.

Her brother looked put out, leaning back in his chair so that his dog could put its massive head in his lap.

"At this rate, we'll never get rid of her, Akamaru," he whispered, winking at his older sister.

She shook her head, finishing off her soup and carrying the bowl to the sink. The Inuzuka were known for family loyalty if nothing else. Even if her brother teased about getting rid of her, she knew he did not mean it. Once the food was taken care of, she retreated to her room, where she found herself again studying the man in the picture. She searched those dark eyes for any trace of the vulnerability she had seen in them tonight, but found only cold arrogance. Her eyes dropped to the caption underneath the picture: '_Uchiha Itachi: Cheap_' it read. She snorted, thinking of all the money she had spent on the man.

"Oh well, not like I'll see him again anyway," she said aloud, reaching over and turning out the light.

* * *

The second part should be coming sometime next week. It will be interesting. n.n As always, read and review! I want to know what you thought of this. Thanks! 


	2. Priceless

Whew, I wasn't sure whether or not I'd get this done today, but here it is! The second part of Uchiha Itachi: Cheap. Don't really have anything else to say about it, so enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer:** I am not Kishimoto-san, so Naruto does not belong to me.

* * *

**Part Two**

When Hana awakened the next morning, she had no idea of the trouble she was about to experience. She got ready and walked to the veterinary clinic as she always did, her three dogs trailing at her heels. She let the dogs into the fenced-in yard beside the clinic and began work as usual. In fact, her day was going perfectly until late in the afternoon, when she came out to the waiting room to collect her next patient. Sitting straight-backed in one of the rickety chairs and studiously ignoring the Chihuahua which sniffed at his shoe was none other than Uchiha Itachi. The Inuzuka turned to her receptionist, brown eyes pleading.

"Tell me he isn't my next appointment," she begged.

"She stated that this was the only way I would be able to talk to you," Itachi responded for himself, far too close for her comfort.

She spun around to find that he had risen silently from the chair and now stood barely a foot away from her, scrutinizing her with those dark eyes. Her chin lifted and she flashed her fangs at him in a purely dog-like reaction.

"Follow me," she growled.

She led him to the examination room, whirling on the man as soon as the door closed behind them.

"Whatever your problem is, I can't help you…unless you're plagued by itchy little pests, then I have a flea preventative I can prescribe," she said.

The man had the gall to look amused by her.

"I would say that is what you consider to be your problem, Hana," he said softly.

Her brown eyes narrowed as she attempted to determine if the stoic Uchiha was actually deigning to _tease_ her, then she turned her back on him to straighten the colorful leashes hanging beside the examination table.

"I thought this was settled last night, Uchiha! I will not go on a date with you, ever. Now you're poking your head into my personal life and my receptionist…oh, Kami, my receptionist is going to think there's something going on between us," she realized.

His voice, when it came, was a silky purr at her shoulder.

"Is that a problem?" he asked.

"You bet it-" her words cut off as she turned to find his face inches from her own.

Her wide gaze was snared by the obsidian pools which passed for his eyes. Her indignant thoughts ground to a halt and she hesitated a moment too long in pushing him away.

"Inuzuka-san, there's a-" her receptionist froze in the doorway, looking from her employer to Itachi.

A slight grin touched her lips as she bowed.

"Forgive me. It is nothing," she said, trying to back out of the room.

Hana snarled at Itachi as she shoved him away from her, going after her receptionist.

"Junko," she began.

The girl turned to her with an excited squeal, grabbing her arms and bouncing.

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating _the_ Uchiha Itachi?" she demanded loudly.

In the waiting room, heads of animals and owners alike swiveled toward them. Hana resisted the urge to start banging her head against the nearest wall.

"Because I am NOT dating him," Hana hissed before regaining her composure, "Now tell me, what did you interrupt us for?"

"So I did interrupt something? Was he going to kiss you?" Junko asked, still talking far too loudly for Hana's peace of mind.

The woman gave into the urge and turned away from the excited receptionist to bang her head against the doorframe. A warm hand caught her forehead before it could make contact and she lifted her head to find Itachi standing there. She gave him a disgruntled look.

He bent his head to whisper in her ear, "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

Her ears twitched as the sudden hush in the waiting room caught her attention. She jerked back from the Uchiha, spinning her head to look at the door. There was a mass scramble for chairs as the eavesdroppers tried to hide the fact that they had been watching the unfolding scene. Hana turned the most evil glare she could muster upon the Uchiha.

"I hate you," she said.

.oOo.oOo.

He was still there when she came out of the examining room at the end of the day. She paused in the middle of shrugging on her jacket, wondering if anyone would really miss the man if she murdered him. As she was considering the many ways to kill him without being found out, she felt his hands brush across her back as he helped tug her coat the rest of the way over her shoulders. She stiffened and spun to give him a punch to the jaw. He caught her fist easily in his palm and tugged her against him, pinioning her arms at her sides. Of course, the arrogant man was also intelligent enough to position her so that her knees could not damage other important parts of his anatomy.

"Let me walk you home," he whispered in her ear.

She suppressed the perverse shiver which wanted to crawl down her spine at the feel of his breath on her neck, instead turning her head and biting his ear hard enough to draw blood. He released her with a startled curse. It pleased her to no end that she'd finally managed to unnerve the man, though the means she had needed to use were not ones she would want to use often. He turned his dark eyes on her, anger smoldering in their depths.

"You bit me," he stated.

"How observant of you. This is the last time I'll repeat myself, Uchiha: get out of my life. You are not wanted here," she growled.

Those obsidian eyes darkened further.

"Just one date, Inuzuka, then we can both forget the other ever existed," he stated tightly.

"Or I could forget about you here and now and not waste an entire evening on such an arrogant cretin," she shot back.

He lifted a hand as though about to grab her arm, then apparently recalled the blood dripping down his neck and reconsidered.

"I will not give up until I fulfill my obligation to you," he said.

She gave him a feral grin.

"You'll get tired eventually, Uchiha, because I will not give in to you," she said.

He did not deign to respond to that, instead starting toward the door. Her gaze was drawn to the blood on his neck and she scowled.

"Blast it, Uchiha, get back in here," she growled.

He turned, raising one eyebrow.

"Changed your mind?" he asked.

She pointed to a nearby chair and commanded, "Sit."

His jaw twitched, but he silently obeyed. Hana left the room for a moment to fetch some cleaner and bandages. She poured the cleaner onto a cloth and began to gently dab at the bite mark. It had to hurt, but the Uchiha made no sign of discomfort. When she had finished cleaning the blood from the wound, she gently bandaged it before backing away from the man.

"This doesn't change anything," she stated.

"No, it doesn't," he responded, standing and leaving the building.

.oOo.oOo.

A month later, Itachi and Hana walked down the street together, her dogs trailing behind. As he had promised, the Uchiha had not given up. He had visited her every day at the clinic until Hana at last relented enough to allow him to walk her home. Most days, like this one, they traveled in silence, each content with their own thoughts. The dark-haired male, though, was slowly coming to a conclusion he did not like at all. Despite the fact that the majority of their meetings consisted of arguments or silences, he had somehow grown used to having the brunette at his side. He glanced aside at her, disquieted by the thought. Hana was everything he was not—open where he was withdrawn, kind where he could not care less, steadfastly loyal to her family where he could barely tolerate the majority of his own. He had always pictured himself marrying a beautiful, demure woman like his mother and certainly nothing like the rather plain, loud Inuzuka. No, she was manipulating him into feeling the way he did. This had probably been her plan all along.

When they reached her house, he waited for her to unlock the door before pushing her inside. After weeks of walking with her, he knew that Kiba and his dog would not return until later that evening. He shut the door on the snouts of Hana's trio of canines, leaving them barking outside as he pushed the woman against the wall and kept her from moving by pressing his body against hers.

"Uchiha, what are you-?" he cut off her demand with his mouth.

Her toned body was stiff against his as she tried to pull her head away from him. Keeping her firmly trapped, he raised a hand to her cheek to keep her from turning away. He gentled the kiss, moving his lips across hers in a command for her to respond. She resisted his efforts for another long moment, then her body melted against his lean form, her lips softening beneath his. Itachi pulled back, his breathing harsh. It took a moment for her own eyes to open, brown orbs dazed as she looked up at him. As the Uchiha looked at her, he was having trouble remembering why he had thought this woman was not beautiful. He was ready to pull her back into his arms and start kissing her again when reason began to return to his mind. He had never lost control like this before. The kiss was supposed to have been a simple experiment, but it had turned against him. Hana was dangerous to his mental faculties and he couldn't afford weakness. He pulled away from her, opening the door to let her whining dogs inside. They went immediately to their mistress, sniffing at her to make certain she had not been harmed. Itachi kept his back to her.

"You were right. I have grown tired of this. Farewell, Inuzuka," he said without any inflection.

With those parting words, he stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind him. It was a shame he had wasted so much of his time on the woman.

.oOo.oOo.

Inside the house, Hana sunk to the ground. Her eyes filled with sudden tears as she called herself a fool. Her dogs crowded around her—the two eldest attempting to lick the tears from her cheeks while the youngest curled up by her side and rested his head in her lap. She laid one hand on the dog's shaggy head, mind spinning in an attempt to understand what had just happened.

Her own feelings were no mystery. She had been attracted to his looks from the start. Despite what she had told her younger brother, a part of her mind had conceded the fact that Uchiha Itachi was a very handsome man. However, his cold personality had put her off him, for she was used to people who wore their hearts on their sleeves for all to see. This past month, though, she had had the chance to observe him closely. While he was certainly not as transparent as her family, the obsidian depths of his eyes did quite a good job of communicating his emotions. Whether he had intended to or not, he had romanced her with his quick mind, his steady determination, and the kindness he allowed to show only occasionally. She had fallen in love with those rare smiles and the way they caused his entire face to somehow light up. And Inuzuka Hana did not know how to do things halfway. When she had fallen in love with him, she had fallen hard. It had been everything she could do to keep the intuitive Uchiha from discovering her change of heart.

Then, when he had kissed her…she pressed the tips of her fingers against her lips. She had dared hope that his actions meant he felt the same. But he had only been toying with her. She should have known better than to believe that the refined Uchiha could ever be in love with a free-spirited Inuzuka.

The door opened, but she didn't bother looking up.

"Hana?" her brother asked with worry in his tone.

He had never seen his strong sister break down. She shook her head at him, the tears flowing more quickly down the red tattoos which marked her face. Kiba's eyes narrowed.

"I'll kill him," he snarled.

At the moment, Hana wasn't sure that that would be a bad thing.

.oOo.oOo.

Itachi looked up from his paperwork as the door to his office opened. Sasuke sauntered inside, trailed by Naruto. The blond bounded up to Itachi's desk, a brilliant grin on his face.

"Good afternoon, Itachi!" he said.

When the older Uchiha merely returned his eyes to his paperwork, Sasuke decided to intervene. He walked over to the desk and perched on its edge, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"_Aniki_, we need to talk," he said quietly.

Itachi frowned, but set aside the proposal he was working on. He knew he would have no peace until he heard the younger men out.

"What is it, _otouto_?" he asked.

"How could you treat Hana-_neechan_ like that?" Naruto butted in.

Sasuke gave the blond a glare to quiet him, meeting his brother's gaze.

"I know what you're thinking, _aniki_, and you're wrong. None of the Inuzuka has a deceptive bone in their body," he stated.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, "I don't want to talk about this."

"Too bad, because we do! You broke her heart, Itachi. Kiba says he's never seen her so lifeless," Naruto cut in loudly.

Despite himself, Itachi winced at the thought of the vibrant Hana losing her love of life. His younger brother's sharp eyes did not miss the motion and he quickly came to the realization of what it meant. One corner of his mouth twitched up in a smirk.

"I see. I never thought you were a coward, _aniki_," he said lowly.

Naruto stopped his rambling, turning to look at his best friend with a confused expression.

"What do you mean by that, _teme_?" he asked.

"It's quite simple,_dobe_. My brother is in love with Inuzuka Hana, so he cut off all ties with her to keep from risking himself," he stated, gaze never leaving Itachi's.

Naruto's blue eyes widened and he too turned to the elder Uchiha.

"_Ne_, Itachi, is the _teme_ right? Are you in love with Hana-_neechan_?" he asked.

Itachi stood from his chair, his expression blank. He spoke but a single word, "Out."

"But you haven't answered my-" Naruto started to protest.

Sasuke grabbed the blonde's ear and started dragging him toward the door.

"Come on, _dobe_. We've accomplished what we came here for," he said.

The door shut behind them, leaving Itachi in blessed silence. He sat back down at his desk to return to work but found himself staring blankly at the screen, instead picturing Hana's face.

.oOo.oOo.

Knowing her route home as he did, it was an easy thing for Itachi to conceal himself where he would be able to see her as she passed by. He simply wanted to see if she was as bad off as Naruto had said she was. It was certainly not because he cared for her or was worried about her. Or because he was in love with her. The thought was preposterous. Uchiha Itachi loved no one, not even his family, let alone some chaotic Inuzuka. He glanced at his watch, seeing that it was close to the time she left work, and turned his eyes toward the path. He told himself that he was straining for a glimpse of her because the sooner he saw that she was all right, the sooner he could leave.

Within a few minutes, he caught sight of her willowy frame coming toward the place where he had hidden himself. Rather than following at her heels as they usually did, one prowled ahead of her as though searching for danger. Another followed behind her, guarding her back, and the smallest was pressed against her side. One of her hands rested on the dog's head. Her own head was bowed and her brown hair hung loose, hiding her face from his view. He moved closer, needing to see her eyes. The lead dog growled suddenly and when Itachi looked down, he saw that the dog's eyes were fixed on the spot where he was hidden. He started to edge backward, realizing that he had forgotten to take her trio of canines into account. Then, she lifted her head and he was caught. He searched her face, noting that the tanned skin lacked luster and the sparkle had vanished from her brown eyes. She looked exhausted and, as Naruto had said, heartbroken. For reasons he really did not want to consider, Itachi felt his own heart breaking. Another low growl reminded him of the presence of her dogs, but suddenly Itachi did not care. He stepped out of the shadows in which he had concealed himself. Their eyes locked. The lead dog snarled, stalking toward the Uchiha.

"Shiro," the softly spoken reprimand called the canine back to his mistress' side, but his eyes did not leave Itachi's lean form. Hana drew herself up, meeting the Uchiha's gaze with a guarded look in her own eyes. She asked, "What do you want, Uchiha?"

He kept his eyes locked on hers as he came slowly closer. The trio of dogs huddled protectively at her feet growled at his approach. He paused a little more than a foot away from her, glancing down at her canine companions, then back at her face.

"I would prefer to talk to you alone," he said.

A spark of fire returned to her brown eyes, one hand fisting in the gray fur of the dog closest to her.

"We don't always get what we want, Uchiha. Speak your piece and get out of my life," she said.

The dark-haired man risked another step closer to her, eyes dropping to her throat as he noted the rapid flutter of her pulse. So then she was as affected by him as he was by her. Good. When he spoke again, his voice was a soft whisper which made her shiver with something other than fear.

"What if I don't want to get out of your life, Hana?" he purred.

Her eyes widened, breath catching in her throat. Just as quickly, those brown orbs narrowed.

"Don't toy with me again, Uchiha," she growled.

Itachi stepped closer, surprised that the dogs allowed him to pass. He lowered his head to speak into her ear, restraining himself from touching her. He couldn't help but remember what had happened the last time he had spoken with her in this manner.

"You will go on a date with me, Hana. I won't take no for an answer this time," he said.

She pulled back, studying his obsidian eyes for signs of sincerity. Apparently, whatever she saw in them convinced her, for she nodded confidently.

"All right, Uchiha," she said, "One date."

.oOo.oOo.

**Five years later…**

"Okaasan, did you really bite Otousan?" four-year old Kai asked, wide black eyes fixed on his mother's face.

Hana smiled, glancing over at Itachi.

"Yes, I did," she responded.

The little boy looked down at the puppy asleep in his lap, biting his lip in thought.

"I bit Rika today. Does that mean I have to marry her when I grow up?" he said, frowning in distaste at the thought.

Hana burst into laughter, leaving her husband to rescue their confused son.

"No, Kai, you won't have to marry her," he said, "But you shouldn't go around biting people."

The four-year old looked rather put out at this, but nodded anyway. He adored his father and would obey his orders, even when he didn't want to. Itachi gave the boy a slight smile, reaching out a hand to ruffle his dark brown hair.

"Now, why don't you go outside and play with Kiiro for awhile?" he suggested.

The little boy nodded and prodded at the puppy until it lifted its head and crawled off his lap. The two tumbled out the door, Hana's three dogs prowling behind them. The tattooed woman watched them go with a fond smile on her face, then glanced over to find that her husband had silently moved closer to her. He nodded toward the book in her lap.

"What were you studying so intently before Kai came in?" he asked.

She blushed slightly and tried to close the book.

"Nothing!" she said quickly.

Undeterred, the lean Uchiha reached down and snatched the book from her hands, pulling out the folded piece of paper which had been shoved into its pages. As his wife watched in mingled horror and embarrassment, he unfolded it and scanned the paper. His lips quirked into a smirk.

It was the poster from the auction which had started all this. Hana had crossed out the word 'cheap' beside his name and instead scrawled beneath it the word 'priceless.' He set the poster aside, returning his attention to Hana.

"I'm glad you think so," he said, bending down and kissing her.

* * *

So, I was originally going to have him tell her that he loved her there at the end, but it just sounded too ooc. On to the reviews!

**Quiet Moon:** You know, I just realized that I forgot to mention that little detail. Kakashi was supposed to come in and talk to Itachi, but Sasuke and Naruto stole his part.. I guess it wasn't too important. Hana threatened to burn all the Icha Icha books and make sure Jiraiya never wrote another porn novel. Of course having his beloved Icha Icha was more important to Kakashi than any amount of money the other girls could offer. n.n

**Cheese Maiden:** Again, I didn't get around to this point either. One- and two-shots are just too short to fit everything in, but I guess it's a learning experience. Yes, Hana's family is rich too. She and her brother live away from their mother, but Kiba is involved in running the company.

I'm glad everyone enjoyed the first part and I hope the ending lived up to your expectations. Review and let me know what you thought!


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